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Red-Eye Cocktail Sauce Yields about 1//4 cups. Etta's New Crab Cakes Yields eight crab cakes; serves four. 8 slices white sandwich bread 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh flatleaf parsley 1 large egg yolk 1 tablespoon cider vinegar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped red bell pepper 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped onion 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce V2 teaspoon sweet paprika V2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper % cup extra-virgin olive oil % cup sour cream 1 pound fresh or pasteurized blue lump crabmeat, drained and picked clean of shell, or 1 pound fresh Dungeness crabmeat (note: if you're using Dungeness, squeeze the crabmeat lightly to remove excess liquid) 6 tablespoons unsalted butter Red-Eye Cocktail Sauce (see the recipe at right) 4 lemon wedges Tear up the bread and pulse it in a food processor to make fine, soft crumbs (you should have about 3112 cups). Pour the crumbs into a 9x1 3-inch (or similar-size) dish and mix in 3 tablespoons of the parsley. In a food processor, combine the egg yolk, vinegar, mustard, bell pepper, onion, Tabasco, paprika, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1f4 teaspoon pepper, and the remaining 2 teaspoons parsley. Pulse to finely mince the vegetables and combine all the ingredients. With the motor running, slowly add the oil through the feed tube until the mixture emulsifies and forms a thin mayonnaise. Transfer the mayonnaise to a large bowl and stir in the sour cream. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the crabmeat, taking care not to break up the lumps. Pour the crab mixture onto a large rimmed baking sheet and portion it into eight equal mounds. Gently shape each mound into a patty about 3 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. (The mixture will be quite wet.) Using a spatula to move the patties, lightly dredge each patty on both sides in the reserved breadcrumb mixture. Cover the crab cakes with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour. (You can leave the cakes right in the pan of breadcrumbs and chill them as long as overnight.) Heat the oven to 200°F. Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When the butter melts, add four crab cakes to the pan. Gently fry the crab cakes until they're golden brown on both sides and heated through, turning just once with a spatula, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the cakes to a plate (don't cover) and keep them warm in the oven. Wipe the skillet clean and cook the remaining crab cakes as above, using the remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Serve hot, accompanied by ramekins of cocktail sauce and lemon wedges. Make-ahead tip: You can shape the crab cakes up to 24 hours before you cook them. This makes enough sauce for a double batch of crab cakes, or you can save the sauce and use it with poached shrimp, pan-fried oysters, or other seafood. 1 Y2 teaspoons finely ground coffee, preferably dark or espresso roast 1 cup tomato ketchup 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish 1 V2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2% teaspoons Worcestershire sauce Put the finely ground coffee in a paper coffee filter cone set in a strainer over a Pyrex measuring cup or small heatproof bowl. Bring a small amount of water to a boil. Pour about 2 tablespoons (the exact amount isn't important) boiling water into the filter cone and allow the liquid coffee to drain off. Discard the liquid and transfer the moistened coffee grounds from the paper cone to a bowl-you may need to scrape the coffee off the paper with a small spoon. Add the ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, and Worcestershire, and stir. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to a week. ti p: When mak- ing crab cakes, mix the crabmeat gently so you don't break up the lumps. Fold the crabmeat and other ingredients with a rubber spatula as if you're gently folding a cake batter. www .finecooking.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2006 63